The Black Phoenix soared through the highest reaches of the sky, a streak of darkness against the endless blue. Hades reached the Aetherial Realm, flying towards the densest cloud formation. He landed upon it, the vapor solid under his feet, and transformed back into his humanoid form.
Before him stood a temple of stunning simplicity, constructed from creamy white marble, utterly devoid of the gems and gold that adorned most divine structures. Hades entered the silent hall.
A voice, clear and resonant, echoed around him. "To the right, Hades."
He followed the direction, finding himself in a serene garden. At its center, a round stone table held three cups of tea. Seated around it were a couple with similar elegant features, creamy white hair, and fair skin: Aether, Primordial of Air, and Hemera, Primordial of Light.
Hades offered a respectful bow. "Lord Aether, Lady Hemera. I am Hades, King of the Underworld."
"Join us, Hades. Share some tea," Hemera said, gesturing to the empty seat.
"I am grateful for the offer," Hades replied, his voice tight with urgency. "But I am racing against time."
Aether's serene expression sharpened. "What has happened?"
"Tartarus has fallen into slumber. The Giant Chasm is on the verge of breaking open completely."
Aether and Hemera jolted to their feet. "Our brother, asleep?" Aether breathed, his voice full of concern.
"That is why I have come to ask for your help," Hades stated.
"We would aid you, but we cannot leave the Sky Chasm unguarded," Aether said, his tone worried.
"I understand. I do not ask for your presence, but for your essence. Purity and Light. They are the components I need to forge a solution."
The two primordials exchanged a long, solemn look. The air grew heavy with the weight of the decision. "For our brother Tartarus, and for the stability of all realms," Aether finally said, his voice resonant with gravity. He extended his hand, and a shimmering, crystalline orb of pure air condensed in his palm. Hemera did the same, a warm, radiant sphere of condensed daylight appearing in hers. They offered the essences to Hades.
"Thank you. The Underworld is in your debt," Hades said, carefully storing the powerful energies.
As he turned to leave, Aether's voice stopped him. "Hades. Your father is not the monster you believe him to be. You share his qualities : responsibility, power, independence. You care for your realm just as he once cared for his."
Hades turned back, his expression hardening. "He tried to murder his own children."
Hemera replied softly. "Cronus, a primordial slayer who is just step away to become Primordial. And feared his own child, who are not even his equal. Don't you think this is strange."
Aether added, "You hold the Divinity of Secrets. Use it. Look past the surface and see what history has hidden."
The words struck Hades with the force of a physical blow. The firm ground of his hatred for Cronus suddenly felt like shifting sand. He could feel the pulse of his secret divinity, confirming the truth in her words. 'If this is true, then what else is a lie?' His hand tightened into a fist. 'But this is not the time.'
With a final, deep bow, he departed. On the cloud's edge, he transformed back into the Black Phoenix and dove downward, a dark comet heading for the world below.
---
The ship carrying Nike and Bia cut through the clouds towards the southern approach to Mount Othrys. Nike surveyed her army a mere five thousand souls. Her face fell as her eyes traveled over the ranks. She saw calloused hands that knew ploughs better than swords, and nervous eyes that scanned the horizon for a home they might never see again. 'This isn't an army,' she thought, her heart sinking. 'It's a sacrifice.'
Bia leaned in, her voice a low whisper. "I know what you're thinking. How can we win with this? We are the weak commanders, sent to test the water deapth." She gripped Nike's hand firmly. "But we have our divinities. Your luck, my power. Together, we will make history and show those bastards that women can not only fight but win wars."
A spark of light returned to Nike's eyes. "You're right, sister."
"Commanders! We've reached the shore!" a lookout shouted.
"Land the ship on clear ground!" Bia commanded. As the ship settled, Nike gave the order. "Disembark!"
In ragged but determined order, the soldiers marched toward the territory of Iapetus. They halted in an open field where the enemy army was already waiting, a vast force that dwarfed their own. Nike's confidence wavered. 'They are five times our number. Can we really… No. No negative thoughts. We will win.'
The enemy commander rode to the front on a massive, tusked boar. He was a grinning brute in tarnished bronze armor, a spiked morningstar resting on his shoulder.
"That's Thalaxion," Bia murmured to Nike. "Half-titan, half-monster. An illegitimate son cast out by Hyperion for his 'tainted' blood. He's become a tyrant, known for his cruelty and his mockery."
Thalaxion licked his lips, his bloated, ugly face splitting into a leer. "Well, well! Look what they've sent us! Two pretty hot chicks leading a pack of runts!" he roared. "Soon I will get new play things!"
A wave of coarse, mocking laughter rolled down from the mountain from his army.
A hot flush crept up Bia's neck. Her knuckles turned white around the hilt of her sword. But Nike stepped forward, her voice cutting through the jeers. "Tell me, was it your bloated, filthy appearance that made Lord Hyperion cast you out, or was it because you carried none of his noble blood at all?"
Thalaxion's face purpled with rage. A thick vein throbbed dangerously at his temple as a wordless roar of fury ripped from his throat. He raised his morningstar high. "CHARGE!"
The ground shook as the titans and monsters began their thunderous descent.
---
Hidden within the dense treeline of a nearby forest, a small unit of the Underworld legion watched. Mia observed the two forces. "Their soldiers are so green," she whispered. "Most don't even know how to hold a formation."
Julie's eyes narrowed, analyzing the battlefield. 'It's a slaughter waiting to happen. We have to join the war if we want to win, but we can't reveal overselves.' She turned to Mia. "We help from the shadows. Debuffs and support. Nothing more." She pulled on her mask and seemed to melt into the shadows.
"Where did she go?" Aniya gasped.
Mia smirked. "Zerythar's ability." She then gestured to her team. "Elfir, Geo, Sia—debuffs. Sylphy, Dire—buffs. Now!"
As one, the specialized unit focused their will. The air over the charging Titan army shimmered with a sudden, intense heat. The humidity spiked, turning the air into a soupy haze. The soldiers gasped, their heavy armor becoming furnaces, their powerful strides becoming sluggish as if they were waking through muddy water. Unseen by them, Geo's magic increased the gravity around their feet, making every step a labor.
Meanwhile, a gentle wind gathered behind the allied archers, and a wave of fierce courage bolstered their hearts.
On the field, Nike watched the enemy's slowed advance with cold precision. "Form a split crescent!" she ordered, her voice calm. "Heavy flanks, hollow center!"
Bia moved to take her position on the flank.
Just as the disoriented enemy vanguard entered archer range, Nike roared, "FIRE!"
A storm of arrows screamed into the sky. Enhanced by Sylphy's winds, they fell upon the Titan ranks with the force of ballista bolts, punching through armor and sowing chaos.
"COVER!" Bia shouted.
On her signal, both flanks of her forces collapsed inward like a closing jaw, perfectly trapping the disoriented enemy in a crushing crescent.
On the left flank, a three-armed Titan wielding two axes carved through two soldiers. Bia met him, her sword a blur. She ducked under a sweeping axe, her own blade scoring a deep gash along his thigh. He roared, swinging his second axe downward. Bia braced, her sword meeting the axehead with a shower of sparks that forced her back a step, her boots digging furrows in the earth.
In the center, a monstrous soldier with stone-like skin backhanded a young fighter, sending him flying. As the monster raised its club for a killing blow, a shadow detached from the chaos. Julie materialized for a split second, her dagger finding the seam between stone plates at its neck. The monster gurgled, collapsing. She was gone before its body hit the ground, already seeking the next high-value target.
Enraged, Thalaxion surged forward. "KILL THE COMMANDERS! THEIR HEADS WILL BE OUR VICTORY!" He kicked his boar forward, trampling through the melee straight for Bia.
"YOU!"he bellowed.
Their clash was a concussive blast. Bia met his charging morningstar with her sword. The impact was so violent it sent a shockwave through the immediate fighters, creating a small circle around them. Sparks flew as weapon met weapon again and again. Bia was faster, but Thalaxion was a brute. He took a shallow cut on his arm to land a punch on her armored shoulder with his free hand, the force of it making her grunt and stagger.
From her position, Nike loosed arrow after arrow. Her shots were perfectly timed. One arrow sank into the meat of Thalaxion's thigh, making him roar and stumble, ruining his follow-up swing. Another deflected off his helmet, snapping his head back and giving Bia a precious second to regain her footing.
He was bleeding from a dozen wounds, his rage burning through the debuffs. "ENOUGH OF THIS VERMIN!" he roared, his eyes locking on Nike. He ignored Bia's blade scoring a deep cut across his back, grabbed a broken spear from the ground, and with a final, desperate surge, hurled it at Nike with enough force to punch through stone.
Nike saw it too late. The air cracked. She knew she couldn't dodge and closed her eyes.
But high in the trees, Mia, sweat beading on her forehead, whispered a single word: "Aero Deflect." A localized, violent gust of wind twitched the spear's tail just a finger's breadth. It grazed Nike's cheek, drawing a thin, stinging line of blood, and thudded harmlessly into the ground behind her.
Nike's eyes snapped open in shock, her hand flying to her face.
That single moment of distraction was all Bia needed. As Thalaxion stared in confused fury, Bia lunged. She didn't swing; she thrust, putting all her divine strength and momentum into one perfect, piercing strike. Her sword slid between his ribs, found his heart, and burst out through his back.
The tyrant's look of rage froze, then shattered into blankness. His body crashed to the ground, finally silent.
A heavy silence fell, then broke as the leaderless Titan forces scattered in a full rout.
From a distant mountain, Prometheus watched the field, a knowing smile on his lips. "The Underworld legion," he murmured to the wind.